WORDS BY IRVIN RIVERA

From playing a badass woman in the action-packed show surrounded by men in Mayans M.C., to learning latte art, to speaking Spanish, and diving into challenging roles, 28-year-old Irish actress Sarah Bolger is definitely no stranger to any type of challenge.

Bolger currently plays the character of Emily Thomas, in Mayans M.C. dubbed as the beautiful “guera” next door and the childhood sweetheart of “EZ.” Bolger’s character is someone who definitely holds her own amidst the chaotic, action-packed world of the show.

In this exclusive interview, read on as Bolger tells us about the season finale of Mayans M.C., being a female character in a male-centric show, her “character heroes,” being an actress for 22 years, and more exciting things coming up for her.

How would you best describe the show MAYANS M.C. to those who haven’t seen it yet?

 It’s always something interesting because we always want to pitch the show not just to Sons of Anarchy fans but also to people who may not know of that world at all. And in truth, it is an action-packed, emotionally driven family show. You have true family issues based on love, fear, commitment and the emotional ties that come along with respecting your family. It’s a show about being loyal to your family while being  centered and dropped in the most dangerous world one can possibly imagine- the motorcycle club, the cartel, it is a family drama but big in mayhem.

Hey, that’s what most families are about anyway. There’s always chaos in every family.

That’s true. (laughs)

Now tell us about your character Emily. What do you do to get into the headspace of your character?

Emily is so different than I. She is a wife and she is a mother. There are elements that I don’t share with her. She’s so pragmatic and I think something that made me really dive into the life of Emily is knowing how unique her sense of self is. How she’s not naïve. How she married a man who she knew was part of the cartel, with hope of getting out, but also knowing what his job was. She wasn’t an ingénue, she wasn’t naïve, but she’s rather hopeful. I think what’s lovely with Emily is the hope that she had.

What was really wonderful in getting to the shoes of Emily was how committed she is to the people around her and how gung-ho she is in being able to get out, all the while being in the middle of the most dangerous job in the world. She is a survivor and she thrives in that space.

You mentioned a lot of really good qualities of Emily. What would you say is the best part about playing her character?

She’s very unique. If you watched The Godfather, there are characters that you can probably relate Emily to like Kay Adams Corleone, Diane Keaton’s character. You can see the similarities but Emily is just not naïve to it. There is something magical about being able to play someone who knows exactly who her husband is and knows exactly what she has to become to be able to survive. This is really interesting and something that I really didn’t expect and it’s been really fun to play her.

How was it to play such a badass woman in a show surrounded by men?

She’s not on the bike. She doesn’t have a gun. But what she does have is this attitude of being able to get shit done. She will go to extreme lengths and she is super stubborn. She doesn’t want to tell people when she makes mistakes, which is a quality that I definitely share with her. It’s just wonderful to be someone who is so bold in a world where you can easily be kept in the house, kept safe, and kept green to all the nefarious information-but she’s not. She’s in it. She knows it all for better or for worse.

And it actually makes her character stand out more because of those characteristics.

Yeah I think so too.

What’s next for Emily and Miguel’s relationship?

There’s been a lot of secrets and a lot of lies. But what makes their relationship special is the fact that they do love each other. It’s not a relationship based on fear. She’s not there because she’s arm candy. They’re there because they have a mutual respect for one another and I think that’s special. And I don’t know what happens in the grand scheme of things to their marriage but I know they have something that I personally think is worth fighting for.

How do you feel with the season finale in the horizon?

Honestly, when we filmed this, everything gets down to the wire and you film the last two episodes together in blocks of shooting. It’s so funny, I am so excited to watch the penultimate last night because you sort of forget what episode, or what scene lands in which episode but there are some mind-blowing, magical moments coming up in episode 10 and I think people are gonna dig it and I am really excited for people to see it put together.

Now let’s talk about your acting career? How did it start for you? Is it your choice from the beginning?

I have been acting for 22 years. It was kind of a choice but I was also six years old. (laughs) Yeah it’s one of those things like you have this job and you don’t realize it’s a job because you had so much fun doing it as a child. I was just so fortunate to be able to find something that I thought was so special that even as a child, wanted to hang onto it for dear life without even realizing what I was doing.

And here you are right now.

Yes, so many years later.

You played so many wonderful roles throughout your career. Out of all of them, is there a specific favorite that resonates with you the most and why?

I had great years of being able to play wonderful mother figure, like a woman who is put into a dire situation and have to really take care of a family. And that’s really interesting for me for someone who is coming of age. So this year with Mayans M.C., and another film coming up soon called A Good Woman is Hard to Find  there’s been these really wonderful characters; for the first time in my life I am playing people who are really not like me. And before, in my youth, I am either playing my age or younger. Which means I’ve already experienced that age. But with Emily (Mayans), I am playing a woman who is a few years older and in A Good Woman is Hard to Find, I am playing another woman who is a few years older than me. I am putting on bigger and bolder shoes because I’m trying to play someone who has experienced more than I have in real life. And it’s a beautiful challenge that makes me really happy.

Would you say that you really love the challenge?   

Every job is a challenge. You’re never going to play yourself. Initially, you’re gonna get a script with a character name, a breakdown and a story that’s been created which means you’re never fully that person. You can bring 90% of yourself to it. You can bring 95% of yourself to it. It’s never fully you so it’s always a challenge. For me, remember, I am Irish. I never get to play an Irish girl. So for me, I’m always doing an accent. There’s always layers and layers of different things that you’re doing to a character that is not you. It’s always a gorgeous challenge. This job is endlessly full of surprises and it’s what I love about it.

You’re always bring it. You always do a good job with these characters that you play.

Thank you!

Aside from acting, what else keeps you busy?

I read a lot. I read novels. It’s my all time favorite habit. I am teaching myself how to pour the perfect latte, like latte art. When you have down time on set, it’s fun to get completely out your head and do something really interesting and unique and also with Mayans, I’ve been learning Spanish for the last few years. It’s just the best skill to be in my house and practices Spanish. I love it.

Speaking of books, do you remember the last book that you’ve read?

It was called Milkman by Anna Burns. The book I am reading right now is Slumberland by Paul Beatty.

Who are your acting heroes?

You know what, it’s so interesting right, because for me, it’s more like character heroes.

I love that! Character Heroes!

It’s a character hero. Every actor takes role for a plethora of reasons. For me, right now, Robert Pattinson in The Lighthouse- he is like a character hero. He is just astounding.  So it’s these characters that I become obsessed with.

If you were a book, what book would you be and why?

Well, I always always always wanna be Scarlet O’Hara in Gone With the Wind. So I guess I am Scarlett O’Hara instead of Gone With the Wind.

Catch Sarah Bolger as Emily Thomas in MAYANS M.C.

Also, catch Sarah Bolger in A GOOD WOMAN IS HARD TO FIND